Australian banking inquiry hears Westpac mis-sold auto-finance

[SYDNEY] Westpac Banking Corp’s auto-finance business approved applications that contained no expense information, and relied heavily on the advice of car-yard managers when processing loans, an inquiry into Australia’s financial sector heard on Wednesday.

In Australia, 90 per cent of car sales are arranged through finance organised by dealerships and lenders, according to the inquiry, with new finance commitments for vehicles last year totalling A$35.7 billion (S$36.2 billion).

The sector, dominated by Westpac, Macquarie Group and a range of specialist lenders such as Toyota Financial Services, has been singled out by the inquiry, which can recommend criminal or civil prosecutions and legislative changes.

The Royal Commission turned its attention to Westpac for the first time on Wednesday, using the experience of customer Nalini Thiruvangadam to show how some customers were mis-sold car loans they could never hope to repay.

In emotional testimony, Ms Thiruvangadam said she signed documents at a car yard in 2012 that compelled her to pay almost A$260 a fortnight for what she later found out was a “demo car that jerked a lot”.

Ms Thiruvangadam, who was earning A$350 per fortnight at the time plus government benefits, said she fell behind on rent payments and other bills and was subjected to threats by a Westpac-owned subsidiary of having her car towed should she not pay out the loan in full.

Westpac general manager, specialist finance, Phillip Godkin said under questioning on Wednesday that the bank had not taken reasonable steps to verify the customer’s finances, which included accepting an application with no expenses details, and that “we shouldn’t have made this loan”.

Mr Godkin said Westpac relied on car-yard business managers to verify a customer’s financial position.